India vs Australia: Ravindra Jadeja says he backs himself as a Test player

Ravindra Jadeja’s all-round exploits have put India on the cusp of regaining the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and he said this performance has given him immense self-belief to perform in the longer format on a consistent basis.

India's Ravindra Jadeja celebrates the dismissal of Australia's Pat Cummins during the third day of their fourth Test in Dharmsala on Monday.(AP)

Ravindra Jadeja had an unforgettable Day 3 in the fourth and final Test at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala. His all-round exploits made him the second Indian all-rounder after Kapil Dev to score 500 runs and take 50 wickets in a Test cricket season. (DAY 3 BLOG)

The all-rounder said the performance on Monday gave him immense satisfaction. “I can back myself as a longer version player. I had played a lot of ODIs before but in this year, I have done well in the Tests. There is immense self satisfaction and now I feel I am suitable for all formats,” Jadeja said. (DAY 3 SCORECARD)

The left-armer’s three wickets took his tally in the Australia series to 25 and he is all set to end as the highest wicket-taker in the series. “My shoulder is on auto-mode and everything is happening automatically. I can perform in any situation across all departments of the game,” Jadeja said.

‘Told Saha to get us close to 300’

India had started Day 3 trailing Australia by 52 runs. The onus was on Jadeja and wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha to ensure India wiped out the deficit. Both players shared a 96-run stand for the seventh wicket and Jadeja notched up his seventh fifty.

When asked about what was going through in the partnership, Jadeja said, “We needed quick runs, as after me and Saha we didn’t have too much of batting left. We were discussing that we will have to make bulk of the runs in our partnership. When I went in, I discussed with Saha that our target would be to get as close to 300 as possible. If we are there till 300, we can go for big shots.”

Jadeja added that to contribute in a tough situation was even more rewarding. “There was seam and bounce in the wicket. The Australian fast bowlers were bowling in excess of 140 kmph. Felt good to have have seen this kind of situations in Test cricket. I realised what people mean when they talk about challenges of Test cricket.”

‘Our pacers bowled in right areas’

With Australia aiming to eliminate the 32-run deficit, they encountered a fiery duo of Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar on a cracked pitch. Australia lost their top three cheaply and never recovered. Talking about how the bowlers exploited the conditions, Jadeja said aiming for the right areas was the key.

“The wicket of David Warner was the key breakthrough. With an upper hand of 32 runs, this was a bonus. Momentum shifted in our favour. We were positive after tea that there will be a turnaround. Me and Ashwin performed as a collective unit,” Jadeja added.

Jadeja’s all-round exploits on Day 3 have put India on the cusp of securing a famous series win as they aim to knock off the remaining runs on day 4 and retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.